Previously, many granular products and some liquids have been shipped and stored in large bulk bags, which may contain as much as a ton or more of material. Some of these bulk bags are flexible and when empty can be folded to a generally flat condition. Such flexible bags are disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,596,040, 4,798,572 and 4,817,824.
These flexible bags are generally cubical and have generally rectangular end walls interconnected by generally rectangular side walls and when filled can be stacked one on top of another. For some applications, preferably the bags are made of a woven fabric and for other applications, a film of plastic material. For some applications, and particularly for storing liquids, a bag of a liquid impervious film of plastic material is received in and reinforced and protected by a bag of a woven fabric. Usually, these bags have an access opening in one or both end walls for filling and emptying the bags. The access opening can be formed in an end wall by joining adjacent sides of adjacent triangular portions together short of the apexes of the triangular portions to thereby provide the access opening. To facilitate emptying the bag, a conduit or spout is disposed in the access opening and connected to the triangular portions. Often the bags have two access openings, an inlet and an outlet. These openings may be sealed, tied or closed by a number of means.
In addition, a bag may have a configuration similar to a pouch or pillow, without rectangular ends formed by triangular portions. Therefore, it is desirable to form a spout separate from the bag and then apply the spout to the bag.